Battlestar Galactica: Sacrifice

Lee is one cool character, and I'm glad he's still around. two close calls within, what, three episodes?
How many times is this guy going to have to stay away from the light? It was nice to see him back and mopey-free.

I wonder why Sharon is helping Galactica. My only guess is that she's doing whatever it takes to stay alive so
her baby can be born, which makes the most sense. It's most likely a plan that all the Cylons had all along, that a
Cylon-Human hybrid would survive. Then again, like what's been said in this episode, she may be playing them hard.

Billy made a larger-than-usual presence this week, and I wouldn't be surprised to have see him make a play for vice
presidency once the elections came around. He was sort-of dweeby, but he knew how to negotiate. That said, will he
really be missed?

You know, Baltar was strangely and totally missing in this episode. You'd think he'd be
all over this situation, seeing as the Cylon baby was at risk and the President was highly involved with all that went
on.

As for Starbuck shooting Lee, it sure seems to be that they all need some work in close combat training.
Maybe they're spending too much time in the fighters on patrols.

I was a bit surprised that the terrorists
were so easily fooled by the dead Sharon trick, seeing as there was no tell-tale pregnant bump in the sheet. Oh well,
that's nitpicky me for you. Though, seeing as they obviously had a good look at the insides of dead Sharon, shouldn't
they have figured out that they all have LEDs in their spines by now?

Current fleet population: ~49,585

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22 Comments

Have to take issue with some of Tom's comments... regarding why Billy and Dee didn't work out/was written out. First off, Dee was a character that seemed to relate well and bounce off several people - both Adamas and Gaeta, for starters, as well as Billy. Billy's primary role was as a young foil for Roslin, but due to chemistry, Lee Adama also seemed to fill that role as the series went on. I think, with Roslin getting well, that also took something away from Billy, who seemed to reflect Roslin's hidden vulnerability.

The comments that "EVERY" woman acts like Dualla did, and are constantly looking to trade up (the other beaten to death cliche on the internet is "Women love jerks"), and that men are always looking to score, are very shallow. Broad generalizations like that don't fit this show, which is constantly rewriting stereotypes and expectations. Strangely, no one has disagreed with this, which is troubling. So here goes. Men and women are driven by a lot of things, from nature to nuture and life experiences... and biology doesn't mean that everyone in one gender behaves alike. Neither the men or women on this show have interchangeable identities, either sexually and personality-wise. Think of how different Number Six, Laura Roslin, Cally and Starbuck all are. There is no one clear, affirmed idea of how much sociobiology and how much environment/experiences designate our reactions to people. In fact, BSG continues this question - nature versus nurture. Aren't all the Cylon models developed to behave exactly the same? By jove, they don't all want the same thing, do they, even when they have shared memories!?!

If women are just looking to find a great mate and then settle for life, that doesn't explain why happily married women have affairs, or why women today (as opposed to fifty years ago) initiate most divorces, does it? Nor does the old "provider" ham mean the same thing, when so many of us now make more money or have more education than the men we marry. Better read the paper once in a while; women already outnumber men at colleges, bachelor degrees, and entering medical and law school. The rate of women cheating on men has gone up considerably since more women entered the workplace, so it may be an issue of availability and less fear of reprisal (i.e. women don't have to rely on men's income as they did a century ago, and fear that if they're divorced, they will starve).

You might want to take a look at Robert Sternberg's triangular theories of love, which involve research, unlike the shallow "Mars vs. Venus" stuff. Essentially, you might like someone a lot as a friend and be attracted to them sexually, but find it difficult to relate to them intimately. For instance, Dualla did not seem to trust Billy with her confidences, but seemed more comfortable trusting Commander Adama and Lee Adama, implicitly. Lee has trust issues, by the way, that have less to do with women and more to do with years of a strained relationship with his father. His fear of getting hurt probably scuttled the earlier relationship with his civilian girlfriend. Dualla is nowhere near as "dangerous" to him as Starbuck must be, nor would being with her dredge up guilt about his brother, as it would with Kara.

And about all the "hitting it" Lee is doing. Interestingly, after 9-11 there were record numbers of people visiting dating sites and signing up. After disasters and other near-death experiences, it appears that people are more likely to engage in sexual activity, or get involved more rapidly in a relationship. Some psychologists and biologists believe it could have to do with adrenaline and the fight or flight reflex, being turned to something infinitely more rewarding (sex). Lee almost died; after a bout of deep existentalism, maybe he's become manic, or in such unsure times, maybe he just doesn't want to die alone.

Now, back to those generalizations. Sure, women may be attracted to a man who can provide them with something - although arguably, don't men search for the same thing? Aren't we all looking for someone who can put up with our particular bull****?

Consider *this*. Wouldn't Dualla be relieved to be involved with someone who understands the military lifestyle, instead of someone who might be more likely to lie to her (eg a career politico?). If she was looking for a meal ticket, don't you think she'd be after Adama Senior? And wouldn't Lee Adama rather be involved with a good "provider" - a woman who can provide stability and understanding, rather than the fireworks that would invariably come with Starbuck, at the present time? Starbuck clearly lights Adama's fire, but Dualla presently offers a better chance for a normal life.

Personally, I think that Lee Adama and Dualla is a relationship that makes sense in the short term - probably not the love of their lives for

I think of a lot of you commentators out there need the main heroine to be with the main hero. Lee and Dualla are very nice pairing. Just because Lee and Kara have a history doesn't mean they should be together. In fact, it would be a bit mainstream soap opera-ish and a bit incestuous if they did. A Lee and Dualla pairing will hopefully get to see Dee's character developed.

I heard a rumor that in keeping with Apollo's promiscuities lately, there is going to be a plot-line in the season finale that involves Apollo and Helo. I think they are tentatively titling that episode "Brokeback Galactica."

but (and apparently i'm the only one) i like the Apollo/Dee pairing. i think it's cute and sweet and maybe what Lee (who is WAY too serious) needs. i agree with Dorv - i like to imagine things based on one or two hints in the show. i was a little upset with what Dee did with Billy cause he kinda didn't deserve it (i'm gonna miss Billy) but of all the non-Kara (non-Laura) possibilities for Lee i like Dee (do wish it didn't rhyme). Kara clearly has to get over Anders before she can reconcile her relationship with Lee so while that's going on i'd rather see Lee with Dee than the hooker.

the episode was ok. i miss Baltar & Six - they're my favorites, so when they're not in the episode AT ALL i get kinda sad. they better come back soon. but i love this show ;)

Tim: Maybe I read into something in the past that wasn't as obvious to everyone else as I thought (or maybe I'm plain dern wrong), but I thought that the Cylon plan, specifically re: your favorite mommy and her baby had been at the very least, pointed to.

I'll go back and watch the last sequences of Season 1... Wait... I lent them to my parents in North Carolina! DAMN! Ok, can you go back and watch those last scenes with Six and Baltar on Kobol, but I thought that the Cylons needed the baby because they'd been unable to reproduce (the human way) on their own, and they were theorizing that true love (which, IMHO they are incapable of) was the catalyst of human life.

Or something.

Its late, I'm sick, and I think I might just be rambling for no point :)

Wayne, If I may, I will play devil's advocate from the cylon point of view. For whatever reasons the cylons went to war with the humans (reasons the writers are not altogether specific about), one thing seems certain is that they (cylons) are deeply and religiously committed to their plan. Notice how the writers always remind us of the plan? I am not sure what "the plan" is besides the obvious defeat of humanity but it looks like it may center around the baby storyline. It is my opinion that the cylons may wish to evolve into a higher being, They may feel that mixing with human dna will bring them closer to God. The point is that the cylons are not at all that "messed up" when you consider what they feel is at stake for them. As far as being tricked into impregnating Sharon? Sharon could trick me 24 hours a day eight days a week!!! Tim.

I guess I can see the potential for shark-jumping or at least some cheese. But still.

To me it is just about the most fucked up thing that I can think of the Cylons doing to humans (other than killing billions of course). Having half-breeds right on their ship. Tricking humans into impregnating them. Messed up man.

Maybe the idea of the baby story line is cooler in my head than it will end up on paper...

Tom, first, please don't take my early comment as a slam, just as a little jab. I actually like reading your commentary quite a bit. I don't always agree with it, but I always enjoy it.

Today, I agree with just about everything you said. I'm sure Moore thinks that he's been teasing this Lee/Dee thing for a while, with the CQC fight training, Dee on the radio during Lee's ejection, etc etc, but he didn't really. I like the concept of leaving some things to the imagination, and implying that some events took place, but even that didn't happen here.

I know I'm not going to get Lee/Kara, for all of the same reasons that I'm finally getting Josh/Donna on the West Wing. What I really wish is that some writer could find a way to sucessfully make that type of relationship work thematically and interestingly. Unfortuately, I don't think anyone's hit the nail on the head yet.

Still can wish though ;)

And I agree with you that Dee is believable in her actions. Though I still think its a crummy thing to do. Also, I don't think Chief/Helo/Boomer compares as well, as there were two different Boomer's who (I believe) split off of same shared history.

After "Scar" they can't do a Lee/Kara thing. Kara is hung up on Anders, and won't be getting over that soon. Her starting a relationship with anyone other than him would be entirely against character. So, for now, Lee and Kara will stay friends, but with some lingering attraction and some messy underlying subtext and confusion. (Just like the original series Apollo and Starbuck! Ha!).

Of all the people for Dee to go for...well, it's either going to be Lee or Gaeta, as far as I can tell. They're people she works closely with (and I get the impression that it's really hard for anyone on Galactica to become close to someone outside of work - witness the mess Lee makes in Black Market), and Lee is the one they've shown has a close working relationship with, so...

It ain't perfect, but it does make sense, I guess. And I'm sure thast BSG being what it is, this relationship will get weird and dysfunctional fast, what with professional duties, post-Billy-guilt, etc.